Yesterday my wife alerted me to the fact that another American well known member, of another board, is divorcing. It appears this particular member had a number of divorces in his life and now he has found another young woman and he is in love, as he states in his profile.

Over the years, I have heard many stories of American men, married to Slavic women and getting divorced after 2-5 years of marriage. On the other hand, I did not hear of many European mixed couples divorcing so often and I start wondering what is really going on.

I'm not completely sure about how it is in the US but I'm originally from Greece and live in the UK for the past 35+ years. From my experience here, nearly all couples do not get married before they've lived together.

I think in the US people get married a lot sooner - I don't know anyone who would have gotten married before they had been together for at least 3-4 years. I feel that the whole attitude towards weddings is different in Northern Europe at least. After many years on these boards, it has become clear that many people in the US expect a proposal after just about a year and are anxious about getting married.

I haven't ever heard any of my UK friends saying how they're waiting for a proposal or to make one. It just feels like wedding isn't that big of a milestone at least in Northern Europe and therefore it's done usually at a later stage than in the US and I do think that the longer the couple has been together, often reflects on whether their marriage will be successful (of course there are exemptions though!).

Personally, I just don't understand how people get married before living together for at least a year - how are you supposed to know the other person otherwise?

_________________.

viking

Post subject: Re: Are divorce rates in the USA so much higher than Europe?

For local marriages I can not give an explanation, might be the throw-away mentality.

As for international marriages there is a difference in procedures that certainly might affect a divorce rate. America uses the system of a K-1 visa where marriage has to take place within 90 days. In most of the EU there is the possibility to live together outside of marriage for a long period of time.

_________________It's not a dog...this is how I look.

Markje

Post subject: Re: Are divorce rates in the USA so much higher than Europe?

I got married for the most important and only reason you should. Cause I Love my wife.

However,

The timetable was also pushed "up" to when I wanted to marry, because my wife became pregnant.

Turns out Dutch law is very strange between father/child if you are not married. It could all be fixed of course, but that would have required 2000 Euro's whereas simply getting married was much cheaper (134 euro).

I will still get married in my own due time (for the church) and then I'm going for the more expensive variant with dress+priest+cake+........

_________________I AMsterdam

Turboguy

Post subject: Re: Are divorce rates in the USA so much higher than Europe?

The figure I have always heard for the divorce rate in the USA is 50%. Here the divorce rate for people who lived together before marriage is signifigantly higher than for those who didn't.

Before it became common to live together as partners before marriage, it was the same here. The common reason was that one of the partners allowed the other some liberties they expected to change after marriage, where the other expected life to continue as it was.

_________________It's not a dog...this is how I look.

Gaston

Post subject: Re: Are divorce rates in the USA so much higher than Europe?

Who is online

Registered users: Majestic-12 [Bot]

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum